Published On: May 23, 2004
As the excitement of the New Tahoe Era continues to grow and the destination transitions, so do the opportunities for marketing and new business development. The New Tahoe Era, the most extensive renovation period in recent history, is characterized by new village development, corporate ownership, a new Lake Tahoe identity, lake-wide enhancements and environmental improvements. Visitors are coming to the new Lake Tahoe to experience the change, many for the first time. To learn about these opportunities, more than 200 people attended the 2004 SMG Lake Tahoe Tourism Conference held on May 11 at the Hyatt Regency in Incline Village. The educational forum was designed for local businesses and regional partners to learn about new marketing approaches, products and services that meet the needs of the changing Tahoe visitor. The conference commenced with a review of the transitioning Lake Tahoe tourism economy and current travel trends that are shaping the New Tahoe Era. Along with an update on The Blue World marketing programs, opportunities using special events were explored by an interactive panel discussion as well as the challenges and opportunities that continue to impact key tourism generators such as gaming, ski and golf and access into the Reno/Tahoe International Airport. To provide the audience with insight into the growing and lucrative Hispanic market, andldquo;The Power of Hispanics on the Travel Industryandrdquo; was presented by Diego Ruiz, Vice President and General Manager of KUVS-TV Univision- Channel 19 in Sacramento. In an effort to reward individuals for innovative marketing ideas that help to improve the Lake Tahoe visitor's experience as well as the quality of localandrsquo;s lives, the second annual SMG Big Idea Award was presented to Tristan Cochrane and Colleen Cooper for S.U.B. Culture, Small and Unique Business of South Lake Tahoe. S.U.B. Culture is a marketing cooperative consisting of authentic, local businesses that will be promoted as the andldquo;real Tahoe experienceandrdquo; to visitors who are primarily drawn to the villages. The conference could not exist without the support of its many sponsors. Major sponsors included HD 96 Publishing, Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, Resort Sports Network, Tahoe-Carson Area Newspapers and Sunset Publishing Corporation. Additional sponsors included Heavenly Mountain Resort, Lake Tahoe Community College, Pettit Gilwee Public Relations, Smith and Jones Advertising, South Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce, Southwest Airlines, Tahoe-Douglas Visitors Authority, U.S. Bank, Weidinger Public Relations, American Expressandreg;, Northstar-at-Tahoe, Sierra-at-Tahoe, National Geographic Adventure, National Geographic Traveler, Sierra Heritage Magazine, Marriott Grand Residence Club, Reno/Tahoe International Airport, Squaw Valley USA, Lake Tahoe Incline Village/Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau, Mering and Associates, Ski and Skiing Magazines and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. For more specific information about the presentations, please visit the Research section of this web site - smgonline.net
